abstract: Commitment to an activity is widely studied in leisure research. Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP) describes characteristics a committed activity participant possesses. The Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) describes the psychological process a person goes through to become committed to a leisure activity. Awareness, attraction, attachment and loyalty make of the four stages of PCM. Both perspectives have been used to describe committed leisure activity participants and commitment to organized recreational events. Research on leisure activity has yet to determine how the individual becomes loyal. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the process in which recreation activity participates becomes loyal and to identify who can be labels as serious within the PCM Framework. Data was obtained from an online electronic survey distributed to participants of four U.S. marathon and half marathon events. A total of 579 responses were used in the final analysis. Path analysis determined the process in which a runner becomes committed. MANOVA is used to determine difference between leisure groups in the four stages of PCM. Results indicate that activity participants need to go through all four stages of PCM before becoming loyal. As knowledge increases, individuals are more motivated to participate. When the activity satisfies motives and becomes a reflection of their identity, feelings become stronger which results in loyalty. Socialization is instrumental to the progression through the PCM Framework. Additionally, attachment is the "bottleneck" in which all loyal activity participants my pass through. Differences exist between serious leisure groups in the attachment and loyalty stages. Those that are `less serious' are not as committed to the activity as their counterparts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Community Resources and Development 2014

Retirement is a significant life transition for many older adults, and historically most retirement planning focusses on financial planning. Not only is there far less importance placed on non-financial retirement planning, but also there is also little research on what planning priorities contribute to retirement satisfaction. This dissertation presents two studies conducted with the purpose of identifying these priorities. Study one involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews of 16 retired and non-retired individuals who were engaged in an endurance serious leisure sport. It revealed similarities and differences between pre-retired and retired participants as well as overall contradictions between participants’ perceived and practised retirement strategies. While a general lack of leisure retirement planning was observed, self-determination theory’s precepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness fulfilment were predominant in the significance the endurance sport held for participants’ retirement plans and appeared to contribute significantly to retirement well-being. The second study was a sequential transformative mixed-method design of 50 retired individuals involving an online survey and focus group discussion and was founded on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP). Qualitative data were analysed using Constant Comparison Method, Word Count, and Classical Content Analysis. Quantitative methods were applied to determine if retirement satisfaction and vitality related to SDT constructs. Using multiple linear regression analyses, autonomy (β = .43; 95% CI .04 - .22; p = .01), leisure priority (β =.28; 95% CI -.01 - .33; p =.05), and casual leisure competence (β =.68; 95% CI .02 - .59; p =.04) emerged as items most related to retirement satisfaction, while relatedness (β .32; 95% CI .14 – 1.44; p = .02) and autonomy satisfaction (β =.27; 95% CI -.01 – 1.26; p =.05) were associated with vitality. / Graduate

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

Submitted by FABIANA DA SILVA FRANÇA (fabiana21franca@gmail.com) on 2017-11-23T16:59:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 4506265 bytes, checksum: 5e23e3df8d3af65049c9291add06c26c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-23T16:59:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 4506265 bytes, checksum: 5e23e3df8d3af65049c9291add06c26c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-29 / Information literacy, a research topic of interest for Information Science that was firstly developed in academic library context, is extended to other life situations. In doing so, the information process, usually focused on problem-solving process in formal contexts (academic and professional realms), and often represented as some information abilities by the current information literacy standards, is contrasted with other other informational realities, especially those that demonstrate other information natures like the affective and/or emotional, a informational dimension that needs more attention of information practice studies. With a holistic and complementary purpose, and grounded on the sociocognitive theoretical framework of information, this participatory research explores the social world of competitive bodybuilders – understood as a positive context – which is explored by the lights of The Serious Leisure Perspective. Therefore, the amateur competitive bodybuilding is deeply analyzed, showing a fresh perspective for the traditional cognitive information literacy conception. "Problem" and "need" is replaced by "pleasure" and "profound" in the understanding of information engagements (and learning) in information seeking process. Beside the notion of traditional, methodical and abstract learning, this study highlights other (not so defined) ways of knowing and being informed, in which the information use depends on the knowledge adquired put in practice. Through this perspective, the information accuracy is not defined exclusively by the cognitive authority or credibility of information, but also by physical, emotional, affective, socio-cultural aspects of information, and ultimately, by the singularity of participants’ bodies. This study concludes that the positive information point of view, especially in leisure, should be part of the information studies research agenda, since it allows the understanding of other information realities of human life, and how information (and information literacy) contributes to the development of happier and healthier communities, and, at the same time, it helps groups (and practices) to be socially known. / As competências em informação, tópico de pesquisa da Ciência da Informação, nascido no âmbito biblioteconômico do Ensino Superior, é ampliado para outras situações da vida. Para tanto, processos de informação bem-definidos, orientados para a solução de problemas das contexturas formais (acadêmico e profissionais), frequentemente sistematizados em modelos que mapeiam habilidades cognitivas, são contrastados com outras realidades informacionais, especialmente as caracterizadas por outras naturezas de informação, como a afetiva e/ou emocional, a qual carece de interesse da pesquisa das práticas de informação. Com intento holístico e complementar, e munidos de arcabouço teórico sociocognitivo da informação, é realizada pesquisa participante no mundo social dos fisiculturistas competitivos, contexto que é, por natureza, positivo, estabelecido a partir da The Serious Leisure Perspective. Desta feita, o fisculturismo competitivo na modalidade amadora é analisado em profundidade, oferecendo olhar renovado para a visão tradicional das competências em informação. Fatores como “problema” e a “necessidade” cedem espaço para o “prazer” e o “profundo” no entendimento dos engajamentos de busca por informação. Junto ao aprendizado formal, metódico e abstrato, são observados outros meios de estar informado não tão bem definidos, em que o uso da informação depende da aplicação prática do conhecimento adquirido. Por esta visão prática, destaca-se que a precisão da informação não depende exclusivamente da autoridade cognitiva da informação, mas também de aspectos físicos, emocionais, afetivos e socioculturais e, em última instância, da singularidade dos corpos dos participantes. Este estudo conclui que abordagem positiva da informação, especialmente no lazer, deve fazer parte da agenda de pesquisa do campo da informação, já que ela permite a compreensão de outras realidades de informação que compõem a vida humana, e como a informação (e as competências em informação) pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de comunidades mais felizes e saudáveis, ao mesmo tempo em que, no caso do fisiculturismo competitivo, esta perspectiva pode auxiliar no reconhecimento de grupos (e praticas) socialmente desconhecidos.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.